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- ItemThe physiological and productivity effects of heat stress in cattle : a review(Warsaw : De Gruyter Open, 2019) Herbut, Piotr; Angrecka, Sabina; Godyń, Dorota; Hoffmann, GundulaA trend of global warming has been observed over the last few years and it has often been dis-cussed whether there is an effect on livestock. numerous studies have been published about heat stress in cattle and its influence on the physiology and productivity of animals. Preventing the negative effects of heat stress on cattle is essential to ensure animal welfare, health and produc-tivity. Monitoring and analysis of physiological parameters lead to a better understanding of the adaptation processes. This can help to determine the risk of climate change and its effects on performance characteristics, e.g. milk yield and reproduction. This, in turn, makes it possible to develop effective measures to mitigate the impact of heat load on animals. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the current literature. studies especially about the physiological and productive changes due to heat stress in cattle have been summarised in this review. The direction of future research into the aspect of heat stress in cattle is also indicated
- ItemEffect of two cooling frequencies on respiration rate in lactating dairy cows under hot and humid climate conditions(Warsaw : De Gruyter Open, 2019) Pinto, Severino; Hoffmann, Gundula; Ammon, Christian; Heuwieser, Wolfgang; Levit, Harel; Halachmi, Ilan; Amon, ThomasThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of evaporative cooling at two different frequen-cies per day on the respiration rate (rr) of lactating dairy cows, considering cow-related factors. twenty multiparous israeli holstein dairy cows housed in a naturally ventilated cowshed were di-vided randomly into two treatment groups. the cows of both groups were exposed to 3 or 8 cooling sessions per day (3xcool vs. 8xcool, respectively). the rr was observed hourly, with a maximum of 12 measurements per day. Body posture (standing vs. lying) was simultaneously documented. milk yield was recorded daily. coat color was determined from a digital photograph. the rr of standing and lying cows was lower in the 8xcool group (60.2 and 51.6 breaths per min (bpm), re-spectively) than in the 3xcool group (73.1 and 65.6 bpm, respectively). For each increment of five kilograms of milk produced, rr increased by one bpm, and the rr of cows in early days in milk (dim) was 12.3 bpm higher than that of cows in late dim. in conclusion, eight cooling sessions per day instead of three lead to a rr abatement in heat-stressed cows under hot conditions, and cow-related factors directly impact the rr during heat stress assessment
- ItemThe effects of heat stress on the behaviour of dairy cows – a review(Warsaw : De Gruyter Open, 2021-5-8) Herbut, Piotr; Hoffmann, Gundula; Angrecka, Sabina; Godyń, Dorota; Vieira, Frederico Márcio Corrêa; Adamczyk, Krzysztof; Kupczyński, RobertHeat stress in livestock is a function of macro- A nd microclimatic factors, their duration and intensity, the environments where they occur and the biological characteristics of the animal. Due to intense metabolic processes, high-producing dairy cows are highly vulnerable to the effects of heat stress. Disturbances in their thermoregulatory capability are reflected by behavioural, physiological and production changes. Expression of thermoregulatory behaviour such as reduction of activity and feed intake, searching for cooler places or disturbances in reproductive behaviours may be very important indicators of animal welfare. Especially maintenance of standing or lying position in dairy cattle may be a valuable marker of the negative environmental impact. Highly mechanized farms with large numbers of animals have the informatic system that can detect alterations automatically, while small family farms cannot afford this type of equipment. Therefore, observing and analysing behavioural changes to achieve a greater understanding of heat stress issue may be a key factor for developing the effective strategies to minimize the effects of heat stress in cattle. The aim of this review is to present the state of knowledge, over the last years, regarding behavioural changes in dairy cows (Bos taurus) exposed to heat stress conditions and discuss some herd management strategies providing mitigation of the overheat consequences.
- ItemComparative study of behavioural and milking traits in cows milked with a conventional or individual quarter milking system (Multilactor®) and with different milking persons(Warsaw : De Gruyter Open, 2017-4-28) Hoffmann, Gundula; Liermann, Wendy; Ammon, Christian; Rose-Meierhöfer, SandraThe aim of this study was to investigate the influence of a new type of milking system on the behaviour of cows during milking by comparing a conventional milking system (CON) with an individual quarter milking system (MUL), MultiLactor®. Sixty-eight dairy cows were observed during their milking times (32 cows in CON, 36 cows in MUL) using video recordings to analyse their behavioural traits. The udder preparation duration, milking duration and milk yield were also evaluated. No significant differences were found between the CON and the MUL regarding cows' head posture (P=0.38), body posture (P=0.85), number of steps (P=0.08) and number of kicks (P=0.56). However, the milk yield was lower (P=0.02), just as the udder preparation duration (P<0.01) and milking duration (P=0.01) were shorter in the CON compared to the MUL. In addition, in regard to the milking person, differences were displayed in the head posture of the milked cows, kick-off or loss of teat cup or milking cluster, and frequency of udder preparation. In conclusion, the investigated milking systems did not markedly influence the behaviour of dairy cows; however, udder preparation duration, milking duration and milk yield were significantly greater for the MUL than for the CON. However, the milking person appears to have a greater impact on the behaviour of the cows than the milking system. © 2017 Sciendo. All Rights Reserved.